


Fragmented

by AikoIsari



Category: Air Gear
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Multi, Multiple Crossovers, Multiple Personalities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 09:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 21,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3442376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AikoIsari/pseuds/AikoIsari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little stories of Air Gear, mostly of the Wanijima brothers. (Old fic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Sky
> 
> Rating: K+
> 
> Characters: Akito, Agito, Lind, mention of Ikki
> 
> Summary: In which Lind has a question for his younger brothers and Akito points out a fact they cannot ignore.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Air Gear.

" _Akito_ ,  _Agito_ _, what color's the sky?"_

"Huh?"The little teen turned in his mind to see  _him_ in his cage, resting against the bars, watching with his dual-crossed eyes, eyes that marked him higher than any other. Agito, similar to Akito in looks, turned as well.

"What's that about all of a sudden?"Akito asked with that false cheeriness that signaled for the three that this was going to be a quick conversation before somebody noticed he wasn't paying attention to the text they were supposed to be reading. It was amazing that the most timid of them was the one they listened to incredibly often. The middle sibling, for that was the only way they could define themselves, stepped down onto the blood pool and blinked at him with one eye.

Lind shrugged. "I wasn't exactly paying attention due to that Orca guy trying to kill us. So, what color's the sky?" He sounded incredibly bored, but both knew he was interested.

Agito snorted. "Who knows? It could be grey for all we know."

Lind turned to him in surprise. "What makes you say that, little brother?" His voice became mocking. "What makes you so smart?" Agito could hear the curse his mind blocked out. They were not supposed to curse at each other. None of them quite understood why.

Agito mentally bit his lip to keep from shouting. He did not want  _another_ headache like the last argument. Forcing himself to sound indifferent, he replied, "I can only see in red."

Lind frowned. "Well how's that gonna help me? I don't know how to see," he asked sarcastically. Agito felt his customary scowl deepen.

"Didn't say it was." Lind looked about ready to punch him, which would  _really_ hurt. Looked like both of them had forgotten the topic already. The two proceeded to trade insults, some of which were incredibly clever.

"It's blue," Akito stated softly, tracing his finger on the blood that was their ground. Both glanced to see the middle sibling watching them with a small, amused smile on his face. "The sky is blue," he repeated, standing up and walking toward the mirror that showed them the outside world. He could see Ikki shaking their body and giggled. They did look asleep.

"How do you know?" they asked in unison. Akito gave a shy smile to them as he put a foot through the glass, which rippled like water.

"Kaito-nii told me when I asked him. I couldn't tell either," he stated sheepishly. Turning around briefly, Akito commented, "Lind should know better than any of us. After all, this was Lind's place and Lind was born for the sky." Agito agreed silently and joined his older brother at the mirror.

It was only later, while watching the two sleep hand in hand on the water, that he smiled.

_"Thank you."_


	2. Last Hope

2\. Last Hope

If only Ikki knew. He had been their last chance, their last hope for survival. AKira was gone, following the path of a human. Kaito-nii had been losing it more and more every day. Akito couldn't have taken much more pain and Agito was miserable from watching due to Akito's refusal to let Agito suffer in his place. They had just wanted to live with their brother, but Kaito had wanted revenge. He wanted revenge for reasons that Akito couldn't bear to ask or understand. If he told them, Akito feared he would just stop loving him altogether and that would break his heart like glass. He did not want to stop caring for the person who had saved him, who had taken him from deep underwater into the safety of the well.

So, he had to get out. They watched and waited for their chance. They found it not long after, in the form of an arrest. Agito had not wanted to fight the Bulls because they did not interest him. Akito had told him to try. This was one of their only times outside after all. Reluctantly, the shark had obeyed.

And he had been right. Just as the pair had been right a second time when their brother came to take what was his. The sky was a place of safety for them, for now. They could smile, they could laugh and be free. But it wouldn't be forever. Until then, they would place their lives and their trust with Ikki.

And he had proven it to them. Over and over, when he had saved them from Kaito, when he had created Kogarasumaru, when he helped get the Regalia back and saved Akira... there were numerous times he had shown it to them.

However the possibility of betrayal was high. Both knew it. If that happened, Akito had made an oath Agito hoped he would never see through. If Ikki and Kogarasumaru betrayed them, Akito would lock away his heart for good to the outside world, kill all members of Kogarasumaru with his own two hands, and return to Kaito-nii to destroy all Storm Riders. Agito did not want to see his own Onii-chan destroy everything and then live with nothing left to lose.

So Agito had prayed for the first time. He prayed to the God he didn't know that they could trust these people. They were his last hope for Akito's pain-filled soul and for his own as well.


	3. Innocence

3\. Innocence

They assumed he was pure. That was a lie. They assumed he was shy. That was a lie. They assumed he was weak. That was the worst lie of all. That was the last mistake they made.

Akito Wanijima was, in truth, a bitter and jaded person, who hid his pain with a bright smile and kind heart. He was what everyone expected him to be. He was outwardly polite and timid, with an almost eerie pacifistic nature. He even meant it most of the time. If he didn't do that, he would reveal himself as a monster that was drowning deep in a mixture of blood and his own shattered psyche. It wouldn't be the first time. It probably wouldn't even been the last time.

No one ever seemed to see it. They saw Akito and though he was okay and normal. People saw Agito and worried, for him and for their lives. As far as Agito was concerned, humans were a bunch of fools. Akito never disapproved of the idea, so he assumed it was one of those things that they had agreed upon.

Agito knew that the darkness in his brother's heart could come out. It was what partially had created him after all. But he had seen it reveal itself before. Multiple times in truth. Once was particularly nasty however. When they were nine, or their body was at least, they had been thrown into a detention facility. It was going to be shut down soon, and Kaito had owed someone a favor. It was a safety measure, as they were becoming incredibly noticed lately. Damn the media. It had only been a day, but a day was more than enough time.

The prisoners were rough and rowdy, and tried to beat the poor kids up. Agito had wanted to come out, to tell them to fuck off and leave them alone or force them if need be. But Akito had refused, claiming it would get them both in trouble. Agito, despite his troubled heart at the time, had listened. So he bore it. Akito smiled and laughed and was a perfect little angel, all while he mentally walked on a fraying tightrope. Agito had watched with growing discomfort. But at the end of the day, a mere thirty minutes before Kaito would be there, the little boy snapped.

The prisoners, thinking his smiles as arrogance, had surrounded him against a wall, taunting and jeering, moving ever closer. Akito had remained silent and still as stone. In their shared mind, Agito had felt the "air" cool and the normal water they walked upon froze. Agito remembered walking up to him, that stiff, pale, tiny body. He had looped his arms gently around his neck and watched. He had glimpsed a glint that was always in his own eyes in the gaze locked on the mirror. The gaze that normally watched warmly had become cool, deadly, and contemptuous even. Agito remembered feeling terror, an alien emotion to him, and strangely enough, an ecstasy similar to feeling blood drape his skin like a cloak. Akito had smiled once more, a shark-like grin that chilled blood to its core and indicated a massacre that would be difficult to stop. Akito wore no ATs but at that moment, he hadn't needed them.

His voice, soft, sweet, and murderous, had trickled through the air,  _"Sayonara."_ By the time the guards had reached the courtyard, every single one of those prisoners had been literally torn to shreds with the boy standing meekly in the middle, drenched in blood and glaring with his golden eye. The ones that had not been fighting were staring at the officers in silence. A few were shaking their heads in exasperation. They had expected it.

Kaito had come, rushed by the warden's report. He had found the nine-year old licking his fingers and grinning still, blood drying all over his hair. And all he had said was,

" _I pushed back Onii-chan. I'm sorry."_ But he wasn't. It was hours later, in the dead of night, when Kaito heard Akito crying. Crying and laughing hollowly inside his cage, the boy whispered to himself, to Agito really, about how awful yet wonderful it was to be this way. And Agito knew the truth of that statement and had silently hugged his too-far gone older brother. Kaito had come in and very gently taken them out and held them close and let Akito howl and cry and laugh. And they had been grateful.

He found it hilarious that he, the current Fang King who was constantly called a monster, was more innocent than his sweet older brother. It's amazing what people think they see. It's amazing how stupid people can be.


	4. Wings

4\. Wings

"Wha… what the heck are you guys doing?" Akito giggled at him and peered at the lock around his elder brother's mental cage. Behind him Agito watched warily, black wings flapping lightly.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Akito?" he asked, arms crossed. "He's the Judas after all." Lind scowled. He didn't need to be reminded, especially by a brat. Agito apparently heard that, for he turned the death glare toward him.

Akito, childishly oblivious to it all, hummed as he picked at the lock around the first person. "Lind needs to fly, so he has to have no mental cage. He has to be like us. We are all the same, in the end."

Lind snorted derisively. "As if I am the same as the two of you." To his surprise, instead of a hot retort, Agito's reply was cool.

"You fool, we came from you. Your fall created us. Eventually we will all become one again."

"So," Akito said cheerily, his own wings motionless as he concentrated. "That means you have to fly too. You were created for that right? That's what the Brain Charger project was right?" Lind scoffed. They had gotten him there. Akito paused for a moment and clapped his hands together in a gesture of peace. "Please Lind. We just want you to fly. That's all. It's not like we're telling you to make friends or anything."

"You wanted to know what the sky looked like," Agito added, giving him an once-over. He seemed to have, although unwillingly, accepted that this had to be done. Lind gave them both dubious looks but nodded. Smiling again, Akito took the lock and carefully fiddled with the mechanisms. Within moments, it opened and fell, disappearing as though it had never been. Akito held out a hand.

"Come on Lind! Come out and fly!"

"Come on," Agito echoed like a parrot, black wings twitching at the idea of flight. The two just kept watching. Lind nodded, but his legs were frozen. He didn't know what it was that was holding him. He wanted the sky. He wanted it so strongly. Then, he understood, and the idea was sickening.

"I can't." The helpless statement caused both to pause and look at him in disbelief. "I have no wings." The looks became incredibly aged.

"You don't have wings?" Akito said solemnly, taking his hand. "That's because…"

"You don't think you do," Agito finished, taking the other. Both tugged him down, and he blinked in surprise at the coldness of the water he was walking on. Even more shocking was Agito's calm smile.

"You're flying now," they stated together. Lind continued to blink at the two, utterly confused. Both gave a laugh.

"No one said flying always involved the sky," Akito chirped cheerily.


	5. Sparks

5\. Sparks

_Crack!_

Agito jumped at the noise and glanced around wildly. He flinched again as the crack resounded in his eardrums. Were they being shot at? Akito seemed just as startled as he was. Kazu glanced at him. They were at the New Year's festival and the others of Kogarasumaru had gone to go get some food minutes before. Snow was falling in harmony with the fireworks.

"Dude, it's just the fireworks. Chill." The blond's casual drawl made him turn. As he did, felt snow settle on his face. For a moment, Kazu glimpsed the fear that always hid in the boy's wild, golden stare. Then it was gone and all that looked back was forced haughty indifference. If the teen hadn't been so confused, he probably would have found it adorable.

"Haven't you watched fireworks before?" Agito gave him an  _are-you-stupid?_ look, different from earlier.

"Nope, never." They cracked for a third time and Agito clutched the bench with one hand, angry over his weakness. Kazu frowned. What kind of person had never seen fireworks? He understood the dislike of the sound. His sister hated it too. Kazu sighed and stood up.  _Probably should help. Everyone should enjoy fireworks_

Agito felt hands coming around him and yelped, elbowing behind him. Kazu winced. He'd have a bruise on his arm tomorrow. Gently, he placed his hands over the boy's ears. Agito glanced up in confusion and possibly anger just as a firework burst up into the sky, showering his vision with red and green. At once, Agito's anger was gone and all that remained was a child's fascination. Kazu chuckled. He had felt the exact same way. They both watched silently for a while, Agito completely transfixed by the bright sky. Kazu was surprised to look down and think of how the blunette was beautiful, in his own strange way.

Agito suddenly moved free of the older male's hands. He took off the eyepatch and Kazu saw a firework about to burst, hurrying to cover the younger's ears again, which had already started to redden. Unfortunately he caught the wide gaze of the slender boy beneath him. That gaze knew so much, understood too much. Yet it was still so innocent.  _He's… cute._

Kazu suddenly felt a fist uppercut his chin. "Watch the sky," Agito ordered. Kazu chuckled again and obeyed yet again. All around them, exclamations of surprise were heard as the spectacle began its grand finale. The black sky was peppered with a rainbow of light and sound. Kazu tried to pay attention, he really did. But his eyes kept traveling back to that face, which held nothing but bliss and awe. A wide smile was there and he seemed content to sit and watch the sky burn.

When it ended, Agito's eyes looked at him. "You don't look too happy," he observed, looking vaguely amused.

Kazu inwardly cursed and stammered out, "U-um, w-well, I d-didn't l-like th-the way i-it ended."

Agito quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "You know, for such a weak guy, it seems to take a lot to satisfy you…" There was  _something_  in the teen's words that Kazu just couldn't quite grasp. Nevertheless, he flushed.

"Um, uh, I…."

"What? Fuck, man grow a pair and speak up!" Kazu freaked out for a moment longer and then gave up. He leaned down and kissed Agito full on the lips, as gently and warmly as he could. As he closed his eyes, he saw Agito's gaze widen. Surprisingly, he didn't pull away, not until he needed to breathe.

"Well," Agito asked, gasping for breath. "Are you satisfied  _yet_ , Twiggy?"

Despite his exhaustion and the implications he was being given, Kazu gave a mischievous grin. He swung himself back on the bench. "No way."

The smirk on Agito's face became more pronounced. "Well, it could be forgivable…  _if_  you returned more than you do. You are  _lame_." This brought a competitive flare to Kazu's eyes and he kissed the boy again, this time with a ferocity that shocked him. That got Agito grinning. "Better," he admitted. Before Kazu could try and take things a little bit further, Ikki shouted from a distance.

"Oi you guys didn't freeze right? Those lines took forever!" Agito turned and smiled and Kazu realized it was  _Akito_ who had been out for the past few minutes.

"Ikki-kun!" he called. "You guys missed the fireworks!" Ikki groaned and glared behind him.

"See stupid pig brothers? If you hadn't held up the line, we could've made it!" Akito giggled as Ikki proceeded to trade futile insults with the pair.

"Hey Akito?" Kazu started quietly. Akito turned to him with that childish smile on his face.

"What?" Kazu blushed lightly and asked.

"When did you and Agito switch control?" At this Akito giggled and replied.

"That's. A. Secret. Kazu-kun." The boy sprang off the bench, leaving the blond to gape.

"Akito! What do you mean by that? Come back and answer me!" Akito just kept on laughing and running away, causing the jet to chase after him.

 _Well_  something  _sparked._


	6. Simple

6\. Simple

_Why are we here again?  
_

That thought had been bouncing through Agito's mind for the past twenty minutes or so. Kogarasumaru was at a _bar_ , of all places. The Crow said it was a reward but even Akito assumed it was just an excuse to try and steal some alcohol. Luckily no one had gotten any (except Akito, funnily enough, considering he explicitly said he would never drink. Agito figured he would pass it off to Kaito. Akito didn't disagree.)

 _The girls are late,_  Akito commented casually, giggling as Onigiri crashed into the wall.

 _Lucky bastards._ Agito winced as the stereo screeched.

 _Probably stuck on make up._ Agito scoffed.

 _That stuff is disgusting._ Akito snickered.

_It's funny when most guys try to put it on._

_You make it look so easy._ Agito's cheerful insult didn't affect his older brother. Damn him and his easy acceptance.

_I learned from the same lady who taught me how to act. That woman was a genius._

_Indeed._

…

Yayoi gave a nervous smile towards Emily as her friend practically dragged her into the establishment. She had been completely made over by the girl, and been declared beautiful by the headstrong track runner, even if she  _did_ keep her pigtails. Looking around, Yayoi immediately spotted the Fang King, sprawled lazily on the red sofa. The others were all over the place.

Taking advantage of Emily's momentary lapse in attention, she crept over toward the blunette and sat on the arm of the furniture. His golden eye rolled up to observe her. For a moment, he seemed surprised. Then his blank look sharpened into an icy sneer, eye glittering with contempt.

"What the hell did you  _do_ to yourself?" he demanded, repulsed.

She blinked. "W-What?"

"You look hideous! What, did someone drop you in a vat of shit and expect you to come out okay? What the hell?"

The tuner couldn't even find it in her to feel angry. "E-Emily recommended it."

He looked even more disgusted. "She recommended you turn yourself into an ugly crone?"

Yayoi felt despair bolting through her chest. With this makeup on, even with it on, he had called her ugly. Now, would he ever truly like her? She felt tears brimming in her eyes. She was shocked from her thoughts by a tender hand wiping them away. Agito was staring at her.

"You're making it worse stupid girl," he murmured. "Go and wash your face."

Deep in the throngs of shock, she obeyed. After a few minutes, Yayoi returned, face clean and scrubbed. Agito had returned to his earlier lounging position on the red couch. He gave her an approving nod.

"That's better," he said quietly as she scooted warily next to him on the sofa. "So…" He moved over to her, leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips. "Let's keep it that way alright?" he whispered, pulling away. It took all of her strength to nod.


	7. Dark-Poisoned

7\. Dark- Poisoned

There was something ironic about the fact that he had just slashed through a boneless blob of goo. Well there was irony and amusement but he wasn't actively pursuing a goal of perfect description so who gave a damn? His trusty weapon spun in his fingertips, smooth and elegant. He looked up at the sky. Greener than grass, clouds blacker than those of the storm, and a moon pale yellow from some demonic sense of humor glaring down like they were  _God_. Well, not like he could correct the sky. The last person who tried had died. He glanced sideways, carelessly taking in the coffins that littered the streets like trash.  _Whoever came up with this place decided to make Stephen King kid-friendly._  As he took a step, the male glimpsed sticky red fluid on his sneaker. He scowled and swore.

"Just got these things too. Already got a fucking battle scar." He tugged on his sweater, hating the sweltering heat and scent of summer stained corpses that filled the air. But it was only for an hour, thankfully. It was almost quiet again, barring the low sounds of a cigarette being lit. As if it didn't smell bad enough. With no one walking around besides them, it could almost make him remember the reasons he was protecting humanity in the first place.  _Almost._

"Oi, -." He didn't turn, refusing to answer to his normal name. Not even  _he_ could make him do that here. The man repeated the call before sighing in either irritation or boredom. Or resisting the urge to maim his little toy, who knew? His mood swings were almost like PMS with a poker face. You learn to stop guessing after a while.

"Orpheus. Turn around you dumb shit." He did, resting the bladed staff against his shoulder.

"What?" he asked lazily, ice-blue eyes glittering with nothing less than contempt. The man walked up to him and coolly fired a bullet at the boy's head. Orpheus winced at the feeling of rubber against flesh before sighing. "You know you're not supposed to beat your subordinates." Another bullet. "You are one commander who I'm sure everyone loves."

"Don't "what" me, you insolent little fuck." To anyone else, that would have been the equivalent of screaming your lungs out, but Kaito didn't waste emotion on "shitty little whelps like him" as he put it. "Why aren't you gone? You're wasting time."

Orpheus snorted.  _How you can waste time that isn't supposed to be in the first place is beyond me._  "As if you can tell. They will still be here long after the world wakes. But if you insist." He walked away, avoiding another puddle. Kaito snorted and watched him go.

In the alley, the child spun into action, the gems on the ends of his staff glowing red.  _"Agilao!"_  Everything was slipping away from his fingers, his control. He was falling, falling….

Yes, down deep into the battle, spinning and slashing as fire scorched the wind he fought alongside, turning the black red as their hands lunged to greet him, as the speared twins wrapped their spells of darkness and consciousness was fading to too many blurs and a want, a need for power, and…

" _Persona!"_ Calling out himself, his own name, his own soul, and defying by nature the death he brought to others.  _"Maragi!"_  The song was playing, deep and strong, burning the words of his predecessors into his head. Blades jutted out of the gems and there was black blood, black blood everywhere, and all he could think about was how  _good_ it felt. As his body, heart, and soul reconnected, he glimpsed the backwards world he was walking through.

_When corrupted by night, everything is different._

That's for damn sure. Here split personalities were normal, water was blood, electricity was a crapshoot, and people got by sleeping like a vampire. Oh, and he beat up goo with varying forms of annoying.

 _Damn Mayas_.

He slashed again, allowing the gems to fade clear again, the mask disappearing into shards. As he did, he felt the world fade into normalcy, blue night, white moon (or crimson, depending on the level of asskickery in the area), normal puddles, and the sound of lightbulbs flickering and people wandering the streets, drunk or stupid. Or both.

_Time flies when you're on a killing spree._

In his head, he heard his more hostile, wild side yawn.  _We done? I'm bored._  He answered in the negative. They still lingered. Kaito didn't care anyway. The raid had long since been over. As he pulled up the hood of his orange sweatshirt, Akito sighed. He didn't want to go back just yet anyway. Orpheus was easier than Akito; he had no morals and little emotion. He cloaked his face in shadow and took off at a run, retracting the blades. His eyes glowed underneath the hood.

_In the Dark Hour, everything changes._

He gave a quiet snicker. The irony of this was not lost on him now either.


	8. Truth

8\. Truth

" _Ikki…you guys listen for a minute. Before he gets back I have to warn you. Don't interrupt okay? I need to tell you this. You think you're smarter than them. You're not. You've already been caught in their little game. Or at least, you've been caught in his. Just like I was."_

Up until two years ago, Akira had thought that of the two personalities inside his best friend's head _, Agito_ was the one to fear. But on the day of the Fang Regalia battle, of which few knew the details of, he had discovered the truth. Now, even when he was back in the G-Men, he still feared Akito more than Kaito. The kid was evil, and enjoyed every last minute of it. He made Kaito seem almost honest and trustworthy.

The Fang Regalia battle was supposedly surrounded in mystery and legend, one of those things few knew the details of and many were afraid to ask. Even Genesis and Sleeping Forest didn't know the full details. And, truthfully, Akira was quite fine to keep it that way. What had happened there was worse than humiliation, it was blatant manipulation and a sound beating. Until now. He had to stand up, at least for them.

According to legend, the two riders of the Bloody Road had engaged in a mythical battle that had come incredibly close, but Akira's determination and courage outdid the Fang King's fury and betrayal and he had claimed the Fang Regalia. If his opponent had been  _Agito_ , that would have been fact.

But it hadn't been.  _Akito,_  for reasons Akira still did not want to know completely about, had switched with his other half and decided to show him who the Fang King truly was out of the three of them. Akira had underestimated him and made so many mistakes. But even if he hadn't, he knew Akito still would have gotten what he wanted. The kid was a master, better than his brother.

The first mistake was going to another room to battle. Stupid modesty had caused that. He hadn't wanted fame: he had wanted to help Ren, to make her smile. Agito had followed him there, that angry, dumbstruck expression on his face. They had stood there, face-to-face, Akira expressionless, Agito furious. At least, he had been. Agito had lifted his hand and, to Akira's surprise, switched over. Instead of the timid, confused, and upset look he had been expecting, the golden eye was cool, amused, and… curious? That innocent smile was on his face. For a moment Akira had been shocked at the similarities between the brothers, something he usually didn't see.

The second mistake was holding back. He had purposely slowed himself down, held back his strength. He had no qualms about beating Agito but he would feel some shred of guilt over Akito. And Akito noticed, took advantage of it. He moved just as slow, but hit even harder, slicing like a blade. Then, just when Akira had gotten angered at the slow, playful attacks, the barrage began. He couldn't even defend himself. Fangs and hooks gouged out flesh and blood and no matter how hard he tried, none of Akito's blood landed on him.

Akito stopped briefly and spoke for the first time since the battle started. "Why are you so weak Udou-kun?" Even his voice had changed, cool, sly, vindictive. "Was this how you planned to defeat Agito: with half-assed, pathetic attempts? You have no right to run the Bloody Road. Bow on your knees and lick your blood off my Regalia, you worthless nothing!"

The third mistake was responding, even internally. Akira threw himself into the fight, no longer testing himself, no longer waiting. He was running the Bloody Road as he knew it and still, Akito did not get hurt. The fourth was inwardly giving up, as he had begun to do.

Finally, when Akira was a mess of bloodied flesh and bone on the ground, Akito stopped fighting and rested casually against a scratched wall. The brown-haired teen grunted as he struggled to his feet. Akito didn't stop him, merely looked on.

"Wh-Why?" Akito tilted his head.

"Why what?"

"Why aren't  _you_  fighting? Why does Agito even  _exist_  if you can do that?" Akito shook his head

"This was only temporary. I had to make certain we'd win. What's about to happen next is the start of the game." With that, he began to rub dirt on his skin, ripping his clothes similar to how AT wheels would. He gouged painful injuries into his chest and arms. Taking a blade from his pocket, he sliced on his legs, not even wincing at the blood that dripped down. It looked as though  _he_ had been torn apart by the Bloody Road, not Akira.

"Game?" Akito nodded, that innocent smile now a calm, playful little grin.

"What happened here and now is something that only the three of us will know. You can tell other people if you'd like. I doubt they'll believe you though, especially after I leave you with  _these_." With that, he untied the laces of his skates and stepped out of them, ripping his socks into rags and tossing them in a pile of rubble. Akito looked down at his former best friend and grinned. "Welcome to the battle for the sky,  _Fang King_. Let's see how you do."

"What are you doing?"

"If you can declare a fight over the Fang Regalia, you surely can handle its responsibility right?" He began to stumble away, looking the clumsy boy that everyone saw and knew. "Enjoy yourself," called the blunette as he opened the door. "Agito will come to reclaim them eventually." With that, he was gone, laughter echoing in the tunnels.

…

Ikki looked at Akira, deadpan. "You're shitting me."

Akira shook his head. "No. Akito brutally kicked my ass. Don't know why, kind of afraid of finding out. But thanks to a few simple changes, he managed to manipulate the entire AT world in one way or another."

"So he even manipulated us," pondered Buucha. "He placed himself in Kogarasumaru and let Agito work from there."

"Um, actually it could have been anyone." Akito was perched on the railing of the roof. He was smiling. "You were just the easiest team we had come across to fix it for. It brought the most hype and effectively pushed you into the path of the Sky King fight. As Ikki-kun said, you would not have been able to face such strong opponents quickly if we hadn't." He was still using that  _damn_ playful voice.

Buucha looked offended and Akira scowled. "You are a bastard."

The grin widened. "Well, I had to get  _something_  from Onii-chan besides insanity didn't I?" He yawned and stretched, leaning dangerously back on the metal. "I'm surprised you're telling them _now_  though, considering the battle's over."

Akira glared. "Unlike  _you_  I wasn't using my team for my own gain."

Akito wagged a finger at him playfully. "But Ikki-kun is using us for his own gain. The only difference is that we all have the same goal, in essence. Or at least,  _you_ all do." He gave a chirp of a laugh. "Besides, you were part of Genesis and they were just using  _you_." Akira's eyes widened, causing Akito to laugh again. "Didn't think of that, did you?"

"How does Agito put up with you?" he exclaimed in fury. Akito hummed and laughed.

"I accept Agito's homicidal tendencies so he accepts my fondness of manipulating humanity into such  _interesting_ situations."

"Interesting situations, huh? Was that how you thought of it when you created Agito?"

Akito scowled, the first negative expression he had shown at all since he had come back from the bathroom. "You really are as stupid as Agito calls you aren't you?" he asked scornfully, jumping down to the rooftop. His tone was ice and dark, just as it had been two years ago.

Akira smirked. He felt in control of the situation now. "Answer my question, will you?"

He got an indifferent shrug. "It was painful, disturbing, confusing, and a whole mess of other emotions." His scowl became thoughtful. "Though when I look back on it, I guess it must have been interesting to Onii-chan."

Akira inwardly swore.  _Lost the advantage already._  "So why did you do it? I'm interested?"

Akito shrugged again. "Doesn't matter really. It's over now."

"Will you tell me then?" It was Ikki who asked now. They both turned and Akira could see he was on the edge of barely controlled fury. "Will you tell me why you twisted all of us around your little finger and spun the AT world out of whack and hid the fact that you could have killed any of us whenever you felt like it?" Kazu, who had been silent thus far, shied back. He didn't like that look.

Akito, unsurprisingly, was unruffled. "The answer's really obvious if you think about it for three seconds you know."

"Answer. The. Question." Each word was ground out. The rest of Kogarasumaru was moving back now.

"Okay, if you insist." He smiled crazily. "I did it just to see what would happen is all. I just wanted to see what ripples there would be if I threw the stone in." Akira had been expecting it but the blow to his heart was still painful. Ikki, having snapped, launched himself at the blunette.

Akito sighed. "What a nuisance." Without warning, he kneed Ikki in the stomach and tripped him, knocking the older boy to the ground. The others let out gasps of horror. Akito rolled his visible eye and smirked coolly. " _You're_ the one who said I could kill you whenever I felt like it. Not that far off but still."

"Traitor," Ikki growled, getting back up.

"I'd say that hurt my feelings but I really don't feel like lying today." Akira caught it, the faint tremble in his former enemy's voice. Akito fixed Ikki with a hateful stare, full of darkness, envy, and pain. "You're just like all the others in the end Minami Itsuki. You're nothing but a hypocrite in denial." The emotions vanished from his stare and voice and he grinned again.

"Now if you want to kick me off, that's fine. We're out now, so why should I care? But it'll leave your team unable to compete. You could invite Akira but I'm pretty sure Onii-chan would come and kick your ass." He twirled innocently. "So, what'cha gonna do, Kogarasumaru-kun?"


	9. Reality

9\. Reality

"Let me talk to Agito." Ikki had forced himself to calm down.

Akito looked at him and giggled. "'Kay! Have fun!" With that the eyepatch smoothly glided over and Agito was giving him a cool stare.

"What, crow?" was all he managed before Ikki slammed him to the wall, arm around his neck. The blunette coughed and laughed. "Ever hear of a fucking chill pill?"

"Why?" he snarled. "Why did he pick  _us_?"

Agito grinned again, shark-like. "Because you're a bird you idiot. God, he is right, you are a bunch of hypocritical dumb shits!" He grabbed the teen's wrist in both hands and kicked him with both feet, biting on the hand choking him as he did so. Ikki grunted, releasing him. Agito jumped onto the tower, smirking.

"Bastard," Ikki choked out. "You two are bastards!"

"Pot calling the kettle black?" Agito muttered darkly. "It's all opinion anyway." He glanced slyly at Akira, who flinched. That look always freaked him out. "You're such a misguided fool, Akira. You think you're justice. You haven't changed have you?" He licked his lips. "People like you, humans like you who think that by being passionate and wild it hides what you are, you disgust us both!"

"Then why do you even stay?"

"Because the only ones we have left will see us dead if we go back." This was said so quietly that only Akira caught it. It was true. The blunette was not allowed to go home again. Kaito had denied his existence. And the other places… Akira shuddered. He wouldn't wish them on  _anyone_.

"Ne Akira," Agito was staring up at the sky, a wistful smirk on his face. "Was it fun? Being the Fang King?"

Akira thought about it. "No. No it wasn't."

Agito sighed. "You weren't ready you dumb shit. You shouldn't have said what you did."

"What are you trying to guilt trip me?" That was a new tactic. "Or are you trying to manipulate me into something else?" He snorted. "Akito really is a sociopathic jerk isn't he?" For some reason, this utterly pissed off Agito. He charged forward and kicked Akira to the floor. The pure fury on his face made even the angry Ikki recoil. They had seen the boy get mad, but never like that.

"Don't you dare say that again!" he hissed, hatred rolling from him stronger than any scent. "You have no idea, you have no  _god damn_ idea about what it takes to do what we have. Akito's played you for a fool better than you think."

"So he wasn't doing it for shits and giggles?" Akira retorted.

"Akito isn't like you. You idiot,  _we had to get out_. If not then, when could we have escaped?  _Akito wanted to kill him you dumbass!_ "

Akira couldn't help it. His jaw dropped. "Akito wanted to…"

Agito glared at him, at all of them really. "You couldn't tell? You couldn't see that look on his face sometimes? He dreamed of it once! I nearly puked, it was so gory." That was not a good thought. "And I don't care how manipulative he acts, you of all people know that he  _hates_ hurting people like that." His gaze dropped. "He's not like you and me, he doesn't get kicks out of killing people." Agito let sarcasm drip into his tone. Oh that's right, you've never  _killed_ anyone before. And the joke of it is: you would have had to kill me to pry these oh-so-precious Regalia off. I wouldn't have let you just take them. Akito saved you from something that you never could have done with all your  _honor_  and  _courage._ Be grateful he decided to play the AT world for fools. It's not like it's difficult." Agito stood up and scowled at Ikki.

"Crow, I don't give a flying shit if I stay on this team anymore, no matter what I said at the hospital. But if you're going to kick us off and in the street because Akito played you like a like a fucking game of shogi then you are worse than any monster. Whining because you got played just proves your own stupidity. All leaders do the same thing, just not as well and not nearly as smoothly. That wouldn't just get you to lose your team, you would all  _die_. I'm not saying that to brag either."

"Oh really?"

"It would be a stupid decision," Akira said quietly as he sat up. " You would be unable to take Parts War challenges for one, other teams would take advantage of your weakness and probably tear you all apart for another, for a third your reputation would get totally shot for dismissing such a powerful Rider…"

Ikki glared down at Akira. "Why'd you come tell me this if you didn't want me to kick them off?"

"Because Udou-kun doesn't want you to make the same mistake he did and constantly see the world in black and white." Agito had switched and Akito's stare was incredibly solemn.

"Like I said," he began, a smile twitching his lips. "I did do it for the shits and giggles. And like Agito said, I did it to get out and save Udou-kun's life. As a leader you need to know the grey morality of things. Am I going to manipulate you again? It's likely." Akira snickered lightly. Well at least he's honest. "Am I going to do to that grand of a scale? Who knows? In the end Ikki-kun, it shouldn't really matter."

"Why shouldn't it matter that we're being used?"

"Because you will use us and we will use you. That is how partnerships work." The smile was vibrant on his face now. "But really, who cares? Friends use each other because they're friends. Teammates use each other because they're a team. No matter any way you look at it, unless you're being selfless, there's no way to avoid it. And believe me Ikki-kun, all of us here are anything but selfless."

Akito started back toward the door. "Agito may have killed and hurt lots of people without regret and I may be a manipulative sadist, but at least I accept it. Oh and by the way…" He smirked. "Udou-kun and I have just played you all for fools. What happened two years ago and the reasons why were true, but everything else…"

"Was a load of shit," Akira finished. He couldn't help but smirk. Not bad for his first try.

Akito giggled. "See, even Udou-kun can twist you around his little finger. The world is really grey huh?"


	10. Necessity

10\. Necessity

Your feelings were mixed for most of the day. Your minds kept slipping between human and… that other. That digital. The place that you two had been one person again, but not  _you,_ not the past, someone different, stable. Like the earth that sang in your ears stronger than the gems that the former King called infallible.

_He was wrong, the gem is nothing compared to the land's song. The gem is a statistic, but the earth is an instinct._

You remembered vivid dreams of fire and blood, of slicing through data made flesh and watching it spin, writhe, escape from them with the safety of death. And that voice, the voice that breathed truth and certainty and safety, always calling to you, calling that name that was no longer a nickname, was even stronger than sight, so alive and so real that you saw him alive and well every time your eyes shut.

_In that place where war seemed like a game, the losses piled higher and higher than the slot machines could have predicted. War was statistics that were easily rectified, the players could revive their dead soldiers but the heroes always died in one way or another._

So when you bumped into  _him_ , abruptly sliding back into humanity's skin with a shudder (because really, were you human anymore? It was a doubt mixed with time and changes of heart and memory) and brief pain, you were both angry, the younger much harsher than the older. You had been so close to  _there_  again, close to the border that was a simple line to step over. But then they had seen  _him_.

 _No, he isn't real. He can't be real because he fell. He can't be real because I couldn't protect him and he_ died!

It's so easy for you, seeing this illusion of him (because he had to be, you saw him break and die, you felt him) to slip into one again, to slip into using "I". The doppelganger didn't recognize you, not immediately. Then, you saw it, the light in his violet, the  _love,_ the pure ecstasy and he opened his mouth to speak. You were sure he was going to have that voice, that same warmth of only five years ago. Only five years of despair and loneliness masked by dependency and betrayal. When the most comfort was found in a warzone and being surrounded constantly by scarred people

And you forced yourself up and ran. You fled from the past, the present, and your own worth and ran towards the guilt that made failures vivid and true to you. You fled towards the darkness that always sang so sweetly. (But it was not the dragon's song, never its song. That was a song you had no right to hear again.)

_The earth doesn't bend; it breaks._

And you were broken. You both broke in half so long ago that when the merging happened over and over again you allowed it because the breaking never went away but it was nice when it hid itself for a while. You ran and you cried and you tore off that stupid eyepatch (which neither of you understood having because it prevented that true power from coming out and that certainty that someone was always  _there_ ) and let it drop, forgotten. Was that water on your face? Oh no because fire went out in water and dragons didn't belong in it no. They couldn't last in it. It was why that person and his love had never gotten along well. Fire and water were opposites, desperate to clash, more so than earth and fire and steel and water because earth and steel were even sort of people. But why did it matter if the dragon was dead and not here and you had just imagined it?

_Dragons don't die from a fall. They soar up on injured wings and roast their enemies._

Does that make him real? Your older half asked this in that familiar shattered voice that you fear. You didn't know and you didn't want to know. You were scared because if he was he might come and roast you for failing, for being a worthless monster, for doing as you were bid and  _killing_ your master by letting go of the dragon. So you didn't answer, your other half didn't repeat himself, feeling the same mixed-up pain you were (because you were the same in the end, you just have the opposite temper ablaze) and you kept running. You fled toward the earth, toward the song of serenity and understanding. The earth would swallow you up and absorb all these feelings and then move on because the earth changed and adapted and grew.

The meadow you reach is lackluster and pained. The rain has lowered them, all so the water could nourish and rebirth it all. That was where you can run no longer and you collapsed, rocking back and forth amidst the rain and shadows and the earth's melody. You continued to slip back and forth between real and virtual, human and monster, all while denying and calling to that dragon, the dragon who always commanded yet requested, who loved and hated his enemies to the point of obsession, who dreamed sweetly and cruelly all at once.

_Antithesis and interchangeable, that was what we all were in the end, these pairs of human which were not meant to be, who killed and healed with equal measure._

And you screamed. You screamed and sobbed and swung furious fists at the air because he could not be here, he just  _couldn't_. It defied all truths he had seen and awoke so many worries and fears and emotions that you two couldn't understand or want again. Oh but that was a  _lie_ , you wanted him. You wanted him back for more than love or safety, you wanted his  _acceptance_. You wanted him to be  _there_  and see you as that shattered little thing that was doing his best to glue the crystals back together and to help you pick them up because he  _knew._ He knew you every way just as you knew him. All of his anxieties, all of his pains and loves and fears that you could just take away from him with a few simple words that passed from partner to partner:

" _Everything will work out."_

But that wasn't true either. It hadn't when he fell into the darkness, that place you could never go without the brokenness becoming  _visible_  (which you had to avoid, because if it came outside of them the glue would dissolve and you would never be able to fix yourself). And it wasn't true during that time where you and he were lost in the wild and separated, a time where you felt little and struck first _._  And it couldn't be true now because nothing worked out in this place of uncertainty, this human earth. Nothing but death worked out.

_Fire cannot scorch earth, for it repairs itself and grows, stronger than when it died._

His voice floated out towards you, piercing your chest worse than bullets or blades. "Levi, where are you?" You wanted him to stay away so you stayed silent, kept still, muffling the anxious noises and squashing the strong urge to run into his arms and cry like a baby because he would let you and he would say things you weren't sure you understood just yet.

The dragon found you two huddled on the grass. Even though you couldn't see it you imagined his face, ashen and concerned, eyes wide and his whole body twitching to come to your side. But he stayed back and that's good, that's a great idea because the past and present weren't supposed to connect that way.

"Levi, I'm home." You heard them, the words he was so terrified to say aloud, the phrases that were reflected in you remained unspoken. "It took a long time, but I'm back."

Pleading hoarsely, you asked without turning, "Are you real?"

The answer was unfaltering and so utterly him. "If I wasn't I would be a fake. No one can fake me."

"Prove it." There was only one way to make it true. And he did just that..

 _He_ was there, strong and warm, his natural fire around him like a shield. His arms were snug around your thin shivering body (which you didn't notice, in all the confusion inside you). He pulled you back, into his lap, as smoothly as he always had. You felt it, his faint trembling, his shuddering pain and knowledge  _(he_  couldn't believe it either, he didn't think this would ever happen again).

And his voice, which you longed for yet feared, whispered, "I'm sorry Levi. I didn't want to…" He ran out of his words and simply buried himself in your hair. He was crying, which was something he knew was safe to do now when the worlds were not staring and searching for heroes. Something you knew you should scold him for and yet could not bring yourself to bother.

Just like that, it was gone. The turmoil that had shattered you two like an earthquake faded and all you could do was let go into one and sink so willingly back into this person's hold. And you smiled and cried in that gentle way that you knew he loved about you. More than he loved water, your dragon loved you for denying your own shattered self to keep him as that whole person everyone knew. As of then, you were his in the old way, the way that was  _right_ for them as the two worlds dictated. But it wasn't true. Not yet.

And to be that true way took pain. It took retaking the contract. It took binding yourself to the worlds for a second time You were willing. It would be a light thing, compared to before, compared to the agony of losing your being. But if  _he_ wasn't, well, that ended the discussion. You obeyed his every heart's wish before, you would do so again without hesitation.

So when he pulled away from you, when he turned you around to face him, you wondered how you could have thought he wasn't real. Everything about him is more vivid than your longing foolish dreams. His eyes, those vivid violet orbs that spoke of tension too great for one to bear were full of that happiness that words never found the right way to express. He loved you differently than his the child of water, but it was love nonetheless, for the little you knew on the subject.

"Levi, I…" And he stopped again. He didn't want to ask you this, not again. Not after he had broken you and the entire team up and left you to desperately pull yourselves back into that state of previous existence that was anguishing. But you didn't care and simply rest your head under his chin and sighed as the rain continues to pour on your heads.

"If it will make you stay," you said with a pleading sort of air, knowing how foolishly dependant you sound, how weak others would think you. "If it will help the others, if it will save  _you,_ " You remembered the words, the words that had begun your journey as partners in the digital world and repeated them.

"If that is your will Hakuto-sama, then we will fulfill it until we die."

He was sad that you were so willing, so accepting of the role of a soldier you shouldn't have been. But he knew you have always been so, even when things were simpler. So he smiled that sad smile that guided you to victory and nodded, holding out his palms toward yours. You placed your hands over his and your last coherent thought is how much smaller you are.

And then all that remained was the fire. A dragon was roaring inside you, searing your veins as it searches for the beast, the fangs, which curled up so deep in your chest from disuse. And the fire blazed with a phoenix's touch and you continued to burn, gasping and never feeling more alive than as you did now.

_Was a contract like having sex, connecting a part of yourself so deep and so fragile that the strong bond making itself known was a chain with weak links? Was this partnership called love or was it simply just how it should have been for human and digimon but had been changed for them?_

You couldn't feel the rain anymore or see the sky. There was nothing but the fire and the firm steadiness of the earth's relentless drums at your feet. The world and fire began to trickle away and you knew that just as five years ago had been, now you were the servant, the one who would obey his master's heart in a way no other could, all for the sake of protecting.

 _Once again, things were not good or bad. Once again, they simply_ were _. And that was enough._


	11. Bound

11\. Bound

You didn't believe it, glimpsing your partner so casually on the street. You were just heading home, or your temporary one. You couldn't really go back yet. School was tough, especially if you had missed three years of it drowning. Not to mention the two years after recovering but that was what the darkness was like. You still had nightmares. So bumping into him while waving at people you barely knew (Because wasn't that just your style, doing good and messing up in the end? Or was it the other way around? You doubted it.) was like fate choosing now to mess with you further, sociopathic bastard it was. He was knocked to the ground, his expression changing from blankly thoughtful to alive with irritation. Your eyes ran over him and something in your mind  _clicked_  into place, a puzzle piece that had been missing for a long time.

_That feeling you got the day you first met, that feeling of never being alone again, of having a person to cry on when even the one you loved couldn't comfort you._

His eye, Levi's eye (You cursed that damned piece of fabric over the other eyeball, weakening and separating and hiding that gaze you loved so dearly) widened with fear and confusion and a sadness so deep and painful that you wanted to just scoop him up into your arms and let him take it out on you. Because you deserved it: you chose to drown in the dark rather than struggle through the light with everyone surrounding you. You opened your mouth to say that, to do just that, but he bolted to his feet and ran away, like the devil was chasing him. Your heart ached with misery because you swore you saw tears in those sun-colored orbs.

It took a moment for you to realize there were others there. There was complete bewilderment on their faces, boy and girl alike. All but one, one with hair like a nest, who was glaring at you with hatred, fury, and a veiled jealousy you doubted the boy even knew was inside him. You returned the expression with your own eyes ablaze. You could take it from Levi, from your friends and family, but not from some brat who was currently in so much denial about himself and so foolishly  _ignorant_  to the world that melded with his own.

_That wasn't all was it? He felt like you, he was you, you with hope, you not being such a mess. He's not one of us._

It occurred to you that Levi had attached himself to this boy, this one and all those others (one, a blond which had power so similar to your own it was ridiculous). Instinct had guided him, had forced your partner out of the cage he had so willingly allowed himself to be shut in. Disgust of these people rose in your throat and with it the darkness that had attached itself like a parasite to your heart, urging you to rip out this male's throat. You reined it back and saw the black-haired male rear back with alarm. Yes you should be afraid,  _boy_. Be afraid of war, be terrified of that little boy who you must have had kill for you by now, be afraid of the fact that he would very cheerfully slit your throat if I asked him to, no matter what emotional ties you think you may have.

Scowling, you turned away, heading after Levi. He needed you more; you had to make sure he was okay. You had spent five years of your life in your own personal hell that you threw yourself in. It wasn't fair to make him join you. (But life isn't fair and you were always dragging him down there anyway. Not that he cared.) You tore after him, barely noticing the rain. You never wanted to see that message in his eyes again:  _you're not real._

_Not consciously but you felt it, little bites on your fiery skin. Little mocking teardrops reminding you of every last battle you lost, every soldier who got killed by your command, not to mention your most precious saving the one you loved at the cost of his life._

You hated thinking those things, dragging yourself down. If the others were here right now they'd scold you and comfort you, like you were a child, not the leader they depended on. (Why do they depend on you, someone who forgets that the leader must survive to lead his soldiers?) You grunted, now feeling the rain like a torrent of needles, stabbing into you. It wasn't that rain was bad, but you were practically  _fire_  incarnate, so it did hurt a bit.

The rain muffled your curses as they peppered the air. You wished Levi would let himself be found, would let those other people know he was in so much pain. He must have been betrayed, betrayed so deeply that he had forgotten that you  _could_  tell people things. (And it wasn't your fault you know that. Someone had done it and that person would pay, if he wasn't dead already.)

The earth suddenly sang sweetly in your ears, causing you to turn toward the trees. You saw the trees, felt the meadow. It was spinning around a center, a writhing center that was trying to be swallowed. It shamed you that this was the only way you could hear the earth: when it was trying to prevent yet another failure.

_He wants to forget you, you understand? He wants to forget he ever loved you in the way he did and hurt so much from your existence. But your silly little partner wants you, the contradictory little fool. He wants you real and alive, he wants that unity back, that thing called "miracle"._

You called for him aloud, forgetting its futility. Levi wouldn't answer with that, he never had. But it did seem like he heard, for you could feel the twisting and the earth's urgency became that much more. The trees whooshed in your ears now and forced you forward, forced you back into repentance's storm.

He was curled up in the middle of the grass. Even from here you could see his whole body shivering. You too were shaking, emotions and words and impulses warring through your body with intensity you thought only fear and death brought out. You couldn't move and a vague part of you sensed that he was relieved about that, at least a little. That tore another small hole in your heart.

_One of many holes right? Your heart's nothing but Swiss cheese now right? Nothing but a great black thing with little scraps of white floating like paper in a trashcan is all that weak little thing in your chest is. Why don't you just let it go brat? Why don't you just come back here to this ocean? You drowned before, why not again?_

"Levi, I'm home." That wasn't true, you were still running. "It took a long time but I'm back." No you weren't, they were still inside you, still talking to you, still calling you back. And you still _wanted_  to go back. But you couldn't say that, damn you, you couldn't hurt him more because of guilt and that bad habit you had of omitting the important facts about yourself.

He didn't turn toward you but spoke in a hoarse and hollow voice, torn with tears and disbelief. "Are you real?"

It took every part of you to keep calm, to stay upright when your very existence had just been  _doubted_ by your most precious person. "If I wasn't I'd be a fake. No one can fake me."

"Prove it." The retort was childish and stupid but you knew damn well that was all he had left. So you walked forward, so softly as not to spook him, the frightened beast he was, and sat in the wet grass. You couldn't even feel the rain now. Gently you wrapped your arms around him and pulled Levi in your lap as you had done before, both to him and your little sister. He was cold, almost sickly so, but it didn't matter. All that mattered now was that you fixed this. But it was so  _hard_.  _You_ were shaking.

_How could you get this lucky? How, in a million years, could you be blessed with enough luck to find the one friend who could gather everyone back again? How could you, with all your darkness, be given a reunion with the one person who made it all better just by existing?_

"I'm sorry Levi…." You could hear your voice choking. "I didn't want to." And that was true. Back then you didn't, but it had seemed so much easier. There was so much more you could say, so much more you could do but in the end you just let go of it all and sobbed in his wet blue hair. It was soft, almost like a girl's. You had joked once that he was one in disguise. Levi hadn't been mad, he said he had to do that before. He had behaved as a girl, just before slitting the rapist's throat. It was one of the only killings that as Akito, he hadn't felt a trace of guilt over. It had disturbed you then, it couldn't disturb you now.

After a moment, your heart flooded with warmth. He relaxed onto you, a small little doll who was content to lie there in your arms. The puzzle piece clicked into place, one of many. Shifting a bit, he moved so he could glance up at you. For a moment, violet met gold before he gave you a gentle smile. Joy flooded your body and lightly you pulled him away from you, turning him to face you. He reached out and patted your head like a dog. An innocent grin wormed onto his face and he gave a childish little laugh.

Suddenly you remembered. Seeing your partner meant only one thing: you had to go back. The contract had to be renewed, more digimon and friends had to die. You had to tell him, had to ask him. "Levi, I…" You couldn't say it, you couldn't ask again. You had no right. Besides you already knew the answer. He rested his head under your chin, letting out a soft sigh that sent gooseflesh up your neck from cold.

"If it will make you stay," he pleaded, he agreed. "If it will help the others, if it will save you…" You hated his next statement, absolutely despised it. "If that is your will Hakuto-sama, then we will fulfill it until we die." That was a soldier's statement, a servant's words, not a child's, not a partner's, not a friend's.

_But he is your servant. He kills for you, lets you beat and scream at him, and lets you cry without a hint of contempt. He's perfectly happy letting you whip him across the face and dying for someone else that you care about. Whether you do all those things or you don't, he is your servant._

You had no choice; he wouldn't back down. You held out your hands, palms up, calling the dragon. Softly, he placed them over and for the briefest of instants; you felt a steady pressure on your body. Then Levi was writhing and gasping, hands shaking but not leaving. His golden gaze was open wide with agony. Even as the blaze flared and ebbed inside of you, you could hear humans running and shouting a distance away. You could also hear answering growls, snarls and roars. They know. Everyone would. The war had begun again.

But as Levi slipped unconscious into your embrace, you decided it didn't matter right now. You had your partner, the Beast Keeper and wielder of the Fangs, a true weapon. A dragon could not be alone and now you truly weren't. Not ever again.


	12. Anew

12\. Anew

_Three._

He couldn't feel anymore. He couldn't move. You watched him struggle, eye glowing with determination, furious with himself. Eventually he collapsed, biting his kip to keep the tears at bay. You did not go and comfort him. He didn't want that. He wanted to know what's wrong. He wanted to know  _why._ You knew why. You kept silent in all aspects. You knew how to fix it. You knew exactly what needed to be done. But today was not the day. The day was coming. Just a little longer. Just until then, you would keep fighting.

You were jolted back awake. The bird was watching you with worry. You must have stopped paying attention while he was speaking. You wondered why he worried. You did that often enough. You were going to it more. The world didn't matter. You said nothing, simply turned away and headed to your bedroom.

It was almost 11o'clock. Your body needed its rest.

_Two._

You have prepared for what is to come. The battle that the world had been waiting for was tomorrow. There was nothing to worry about, in your opinion. The kings were a cinch, the team was strong. All that was worth feeling troubled about was timing and you had mastered that at a young age. You packed the toolkit away, absently hearing  _his_ deep breathing as he slept inside your mind. He had been sleeping more and more, a surefire sign. You thought about how different he looked asleep. It was almost paralyzing, how similar you looked when the differences you normally had were so obvious.

You slipped out the window, deciding to practice one last time. You could easily envision it, the opponent you would soon be slicing apart, and the blood that would be splattering over walls, floors, and ceilings. Just the mere  _imagining_ of it caused a fiery lust to burn your brain. The wheels began to turn, spinning too fast to be made out. You took off at a run, smirking and laughing as your imaginary opponent's eyes widened briefly in fear, as flesh slowly began to be torn…

_One._

It was victory. On all sides at the top of the Tower that every rider dreamed on, you stood alongside all of those who were true kings as your best was crowned. The bird was grinning his familiar smile.  _He_ , alongside you, was nodding. This had to be. This was something the bird deserved. Just as  _this_  was something  _he_ deserved. You closed your eyes as the crowning ended, willing forth the black that had tried to suck you in so many times. You saw  _his_  face, the pure  _youth_ in it all making you smile as hidden tears fell from both eyes. He was confused and afraid. He had no reason to be. Everything would be all right.

_Zero._

" _Agito… just as the Regalia was a present to me, I am giving a present to you. Nobody but me knows this date, knows why this is so special. I never told it to you because to you it wasn't important. I never told it to Onii-chan because he didn't care. I didn't tell it to Udou-kun because he wouldn't understand."_

" _I wasn't sure what to get you for this. Today is so special and so important, something ordinary wouldn't do. So, with what was wrong with you, I decided that this was a perfect thing."_

" _Agito… thank you for protecting me. Thank you for answering me five years ago when no one else would. Thank you for never leaving, for doing your best on things you didn't have to. Thank you for letting me comfort and scold you, for letting me make us both laugh when all we wanted to do was cry. Thank you for putting up with Onii-chan's mood swings and scary temper and smiling when he patted your head. Thank you for being Udou-kun's friend, when everyone else turned their back on him, when he turned his back on you."_

" _Agito… this last thing is so important to me. Thank you for being born. Happy birthday, little brother. Now please, for everyone's sake, but for yours most of all; please live."_

" _I'm going to miss you Agito. Goodbye, my other half. I'll always…."_

…

"Akito? Where'd you go?"


	13. Thought

13\. Thought

"What the hell is wrong with her?"

Ikki shouted and slammed the door, looking slightly pouty, left cheek flaming red. His noise caused Akito to glance up from his book, pulling off his headphones. For a moment, music fluttered out into the air as Akito turned off his MP3 player. The blunette then rolled over to look at him, looking down curiously from the top bunk. They were in college now and Akito was the only one in the dorm tonight. Ikki had no idea where Kazu was, probably on a date like him. At the moment, he was too pissed to care, continuing to snarl and pace around. To Akito, it was one of the more hilarious things he had seen and heard this week, not counting Sa-chan nearly passing her job while using the GPS. That was just plain ridiculous.

"Ne, Ikki-kun," Akito asked innocently, head propped up on his hands. "What are you talking about?"

" _Ringo!"_ the elder spat furiously, clenching his fists. Normally he'd feel bad about snapping at the younger boy but today was just way too annoying for him to worry about it. "God, I didn't even _do_ anything and she snaps at me like a fucking tiger!"

"Date went sour?" Akito inquired, rolling back over to reach into his backpack.

"You have no idea," Ikki muttered, finally giving up on pacing and sitting down on the opposite bottom bunk. "It was fine until she decided to fucking slap me."

"What on earth did you say?" Akito sounded a mixture of amused and surprised. Ikki threw up his hands in dismay.

"I don't know! We were talking about ATs and I mentioned Kururu might be able to help with what was wrong with my Regalia and she just slapped me out of nowhere!"

Akito was perfectly still for a moment, back still facing Ikki. Then the boy sighed and rolled back over to stare at the ceiling. He clutched a metal puzzle in his hands and began fiddling with it. After a moment, he said, "You know Ikki-kun, in hindsight, I'm glad I never asked you to actually date me."

This threw the crow for a loop. "What?"

The blunette glanced at him. "I hate to be blunt Ikki-kun but you are hopeless when it comes to this sort of thing. Not as bad as Kazu-kun but you're pretty bad. Even Agito did well with Nakayama-san and he's as clueless as you." He paused for a moment and rolled his eyes. "Don't be so defensive Agito. You didn't even know about it until just before the virtual battle and that was because I  _told_  you."

Ikki decided to go in backwards order. "Okay back up a second. How the hell do you know to date? I've never seen you go out with anyone."

The smaller teen giggled. "I'm the only reason Onigiri still has a girlfriend and why Nakayama-san didn't commit suicide after Agito stopped the relationship."

 _I don't know whether that's pathetic or amazing._ "What do you mean about Kazu? He's dating Emily."

Akito snorted, still fiddling with the puzzle. "They aren't dating. Emily just is clinging like a leech over him. He just thinks that's her normal behavior. Poor girl. I don't know who to feel bad for at the end of this."

Ikki couldn't help but sputter. "But she's been like that since  _middle school_!"

Akito quirked an eyebrow, closing his eyes as his hands moved. "Ikki-kun, Ringo-san's been like this since you guys were  _six_."

"Got a point there…"

"Has anybody given you dating advice?" Akito asked, doubting it highly.

This time Ikki snickered. "Like I'd trust the others' dating advice."

"True." Akito muttered as he sat up to look at Ikki. He wasn't even paying attention to his puzzle anymore, at least not consciously. "Did you ever date Sumeragi-san?"

 _That was out of left field._ "No."

"What was the closest you've ever been with her?"

"She's my Tuner," he replied in the you-should-know-this tone.

Akito groaned, resisting the urge to put his music back on and tell the crow to leave him the hell alone. "Come on Ikki-kun. Can't you figure out what I'm asking?"

"No. I don't think like you."

The blunette really wanted to punch him, partly because that was insulting and partly because he was behaving like a grade-A idiot. He settled for throwing a tennis ball at the elder's head, hitting him on the forehead. The ball bounced harmlessly to the floor. "See, this is why I'm glad I didn't date you. You are a blind moron."

"Ow! What the hell are you on?" Ikki was about to bodily grab the boy by his throat and fling him off the bed, curiosity be damned.

Akito had given up on being civil. "The first rule of common sense on dating is that you don't talk about a potential love interest in front of your date dumbass!"

Ikki froze, mostly because of the curse word from the shyer boy's mouth. "Huh…?"

Akito wasn't done. "You mentioned Sumeragi-san in front of Ringo-san, who likes you and knows Sumeragi-san likes you. Ringo-san, being your girlfriend, is naturally jealous of Sumeragi-san."

"Why? She's my Tuner!" Agito rolled his eyes, patting the other blunette mentally on the shoulder, who was currently trying not to go and convince Ringo to dump him before she lost her mind.

_Akito, don't ever call me hopeless again. This guy's fucking mentally impaired._

_Agito, at this rate, Kazu-kun is looking less stupid. I swear to God, why did I crush on him?_

_You're the one who's called love blind, deaf, and dumb._

_No offense to any of those people with that problem._

Akito forced his voice to level out. "Sumeragi-san is closer to you than Ringo-san ever will be. That's not just envying, that's painful. Kanon-san is the same way for her and you're jealous of him."

Ikki flushed. He couldn't exactly deny that. "Why didn't she just say that? Didn't have to slap me…"

"Um, Ikki-kun it was rather obvious. Plus girls think more subtly than boys, even the tomboyish ones."

"Yeah, well, I don't think like a girl."

"That has nothing to do with it but sometimes I wish you would. It might teach you some tact." Akito glanced at his hands, where the puzzle was now solved. He put it away. "Ikki-kun, next time you see her apologize and try avoiding that sort of topic next time. Might save your face, your pride, and your relationship. Just saying."

The crow was watching him. "Why are you helping me have a better romance with Ringo?  _You_ were all over me in middle school."

Akito held back a groan and settled for a sarcastic retort. "Ikki-kun, it's called a  _crush_. I got over it."

"Somehow I doubt that." Ikki's voice was wry and Akito wondered what was with the tone change.

 _You're partially right._ "You never liked me like that, at least not enough to start going out and even if you had, you wouldn't have understood."

"What if I had…?" Ikki had trailed off at the end, indicating that he hadn't meant to say it. He wasn't lying, not completely.

"It wouldn't change now unless you dumped Ringo-san." Akito didn't even look up as he pulled out his laptop, "If you did, I would request for a room switch because just seeing you would get me arrested for murder. I know what an inexplicable dump feels like. It sucks." He placed a headset over his ears, typing rapidly. Ikki, no matter how buried that feeling was, did feel a bit of pain at the boy's blunt refusal.

"I'm not saying don't ever dump her. I'm saying wait. Your relationship just started. You've got time Ikki-kun. If you've got more feelings for me than you do for her later on, well, who knows? Now, sorry, but I've really got to get online."

Grateful that he hadn't lost any of his reputation and hadn't been completely snubbed, Ikki stood to look over the computer screen. "Who are you talking to?"

"My friend Mi-chan."

"Wait wasn't that…?"

"Redhead who came to visit two years ago? Yep."

"But you two are dating!"  _Explains why he snubbed me. Explains a lot of things actually._

"Exactly. Long-distance but it works out." The voice chat activated and he grinned, saying a cheerful hello. Covering the mic, Akito stated. "You should probably go apologize to Ringo-san now, before you forget. Good luck."

Ikki nodded and left. He shut the door quietly this time. The crow didn't say thank you but Akito really didn't care. He knew it was implied.

"So, has Nii-chan asked Sa-chan out yet because I've been threatening him for a week now..."


	14. Changes

14\. Changes

He lived in the dregs. Stealing, beating, killing, he did it all. (Except pass his body around, he wasn't good enough for it. He was too young.) It was just enough to survive, just enough to keep living. He didn't think something else would come up. What would? He was born a street rat; he would die a street rat. It was just that simple.

At least, it used to be.

He hadn't had water in a while. He was dying, he could tell as he lay listlessly on the gravel. He could hear footsteps all around him from where he lay by the crate. In the beginning, he had tried to fight back, attacking wildly. Now he just laid there, a ready-made corpse, another number on the street rat body count.

But then… he saw them.

They were two people: a man and a child. The man had silver hair, like an old man, but he was anything but that. There was a wild youth in him, one that claimed a refusal to age and die. He wore a white tank top with a black jacket hung about his arms. His pants were dark purple. Swirling around his right leg was a whip with a spiked end, and he clutched a gun in his other hand. His icy blue stare slid around the alley, passing him impassively.  _I'm nothing to him._

But the child was much more interesting. His hair was dark-blue, like the night itself. The color was improbable yet it suited him. He wore casual clothes and had a pair of strange black skates dangling from one hand. The eyes, golden and catlike, were more dead than the older male's, looking all around as though this world, this rotten hellhole, was nothing more of interest than a fly. The vacant stare very suddenly rested on him, the near dead filth lying there on the pavement. He realized that this child was younger than him, younger yet infinitely more cold than him. He had killed, had mauled and destroyed without a flicker of regret.

"Onii-chan?" The childish voice startled him. He expected something older, deeper, emptier, reflecting the frigid soul in front of him. But this was sweet, innocent, almost kindly warm. "This one is alive Onii-chan."

"Oh?" The man turned. His tone was cruel, mean, like he had expected, but there was an undercurrent of affection to it, so faint it was almost intangible. Then the man looked away again, boredom resting casually in his tone. "He'll die soon. There's no worth to him."

Words he had thought himself, words the higher scum of the world had said to him, they were nothing new, but the despair sank over his eyes like a deep fog that would never lift. But the boy's soft voice cut through it like a blade. "I don't know Onii-chan. There's something in him. He's survived an awful long time. Maybe he could be useful."

"What, do you want a pet of your own, brat?"

"No," the child replied. "I just think it would be a waste. What do you think?" the boy asked, looking at him. "Do you want to live?" He stared blankly back. "Do you want to?" Slowly, struggling, he nodded weakly. The child looked over. "Onii-chan?"

The man snorted before moving over to his side. A smirk played on his face. "Why not? Well then, you little shit, welcome to the fire." With no effort, he lifted the urchin onto his back. The man ordered, "Head back and clean a space." The child slipped the skates on before obeying, skating out of sight quickly. For a moment, the street child wondered. Then, giving up, he slept.

…

He awoke on something soft. A bed? Was that what it was called? How long had he been sleeping? He opened his eyes and shot straight up, suddenly overcome by a sense of paranoia. He was lying on a low bunk. It was dark, shutters closed. His gaze traveled all around as his instincts began to ease into tense complacency. He started at the site of the child, who was curled like an animal on the small soft chair across from him. He was deeply asleep, blanket over him rising and falling steadily with his chest. The urchin rolled out of bed slowly, expecting something, anything to come at him. A strange clicking sound echoed in his ears. He turned cautiously, expecting an animal or person to be making that sound. The man was there, sitting at a table. He was typing on a computer it seemed like, which explained the clicking.

"You're awake, you little shit. Hungry?" The street-child jumped and turned to look at the man. He called him a term people used in general for filth like him. Yet, from that man's trash-talking, shit-spewing mouth, it almost seemed endearing.  _Are all adults this strange?_ He then remembered he had been asked a question. He nodded. For some reason the man snorted.

"Is that your name then, "little shit"?" The child shook his head. "Do you even have one?" Another negative response came, causing the man to sigh. "We'll have the brat name you then. He'll be awake in five seconds." As he finished his sentence, he fired a bullet lazily at the sleeping form. The boy was out of bed in an instant, tackling the older man and knocking him to the floor, bullet in one hand.

"Guns aren't alarm clocks! Guns aren't alarm clocks!" the boy yelled, playfully beating fists on the elder. The man simply snickered and threw him off. The boy bounced to the floor, landing to his feet gracefully, giggling like a fool.

"Breakfast brat. The little shit needs food and a name. I'm off. Don't kill him." The man closed the laptop and took it, replacing his lost bullet without looking.

"Yes sir!" The child saluted happily before falling back in laughter, this derisive. "Sir, that's so stupid." The man rolled his eyes before exiting. The other boy had just gaped the whole time.  _What the heck was that?_

The child turned to him. Had he imagined that cold look yesterday? He looked so blindly happy now. "You want breakfast right?" he chirped. Soundlessly, the other nodded. The child clapped his hands. "Okay! Just give me a second!" He bounced over to an area which appeared to be a kitchen. "Oh and stop acting as if we're about to eat you! Onii-chan says children taste bad and I wouldn't eat you anyway. You would need a bath first, at least." The boy flushed. He had been that obvious?

"What…" The little child glanced at him with a cute frown. For a moment the coldness flickered in his eyes as the brown-haired other struggled with his words. "What's… your name?"

The bluenette paused, as if thinking about it. As if it was a meaningless fact that you happened to remember. Then he smiled softly, eyes a gentle light. "Akito." Then he turned away to finish making the rice. After a moment, he placed two bowls on the table, passing one and a pair of chopsticks to the other boy. "Don't eat too fast," Akito warned. "You'll throw up." It was difficult to obey but he managed. After he finished Akito hopped away, almost literally, to the sink to place the dishes in. The other watched the blunette, utterly fascinated.

"Ne, what do you think of Akira?" He jumped.

"Eh?"

"Your name," the boy elaborated patiently. "How about Udou Akira? It makes sense for you."

"Um… sure?"

Akito smiled again. "Nice to meet you Udou-kun."

"…Yeah. Thank you… Akito."

"You're welcome."


	15. Creation

15\. Creation

It had been a simple phone call that started it all. Minami, that sly, shit-faced bastard, had called him down at the police station. He had been busy, busy cleaning up the mess that fool had made. He had been trying to forget, to forget it all… damn that bastard. How had he found him? There had been a smirk in his voice and smugness to his words. He said the experiment was finished. His brother had passed the tests required of him.

 _Brother._ The very word annoyed him, agitated him, sent unease to his being. He hadn't had a real brother. There had just been others with him, others who had suffered alongside them. They were fools He didn't miss them. So why did they call a faceless child his brother? Because of the DNA they had stolen from him before the tower collapsed? What a ridiculous concept.

Kaito could have refused. But he didn't. Was it curiosity? Probably. Worse, could it have been from loneliness? All humans seek fellow contact. Was he really that softhearted? God he hoped not.

He arrived at the nondescript building inwardly nervous and outwardly contemptuous.  _They must have given up being flashy._  It still stank of the forest, it still stank of hell. A boy stood there, He was pale with black hair and grey eyes. His expression betrayed nothing. The left wrist was bandaged along with the right hand. He smirked.  _Interesting brat_ , he thought.  _Violent at this age?_

"Wanijima Kaito-san?" the boy questioned, watching him. His voice was blankly curt, like a machine's AI.

"Yes. Why does it matter to a pisshead like you?" Either the boy was used to such words or just didn't care, for he nodded solemnly.

"I am to lead you to your pickup item." _Of course, they're just fucking experiments and statistics here. I'm picking up an_ it.

 _As if one brat wasn't enough._ "And why the fuck should I allow that?" They strolled down white hallway after white hallway.  _Too similar, it's too_ fucking _similar._

"Minami-sensei stated that there must be a unit to keep watch for safety reasons. The unit you are receiving is a prototype and therefore likely to be bugged." As he walked, the child limped slightly. "I can prove that is correct."

"A brat gave you those injuries?" He was skeptical. Childish fighting only went so far.

The boy nodded. "The other units were killed. They were all useful, powerfully equipped experiments. I merely got lucky."

A smirk played at Kaito's lips. "Interesting." They stopped outside a door and the boy keyed in a combination. It slid open smoothly and silently. The room was completely dark. But with the hall light, he could see a faint shadow's outline.

"Unit 0?" The boy's voice carried and the form shifted.  _Zero. Nothing. Worthless_. It made sense almost."Your owner is here. Please present yourself accordingly." The form remained still. Kaito stepped forward as the other boy turned on the light. It twitched, shaking under the covers.

"Who's there?" A soft, innocently empty voice echoed through the room.

"What a nuisance," Kaito muttered, moving closer.  _A dislike of the light, hmph, we must be related._

"Who's there?" The emptiness was mechanically childlike. It did not belong.  _Even we didn't sound like this. What other experiments did those fuckers do?_

"Wanijima-san I request that you do not go any further. Unit 0 is agitated. You mustn't provoke it." They did not even think of each other as human. That was a behavior none of  _them_  used.

 _He's a child trapped in a cage and being constantly poked and prodded. No shit he's agitated._ Kaito swallowed that remark and kept walking forward, eventually reaching the blanket. He yanked it off roughly. Kaito felt his eyes widen.

The boy couldn't have been more than three considering his size. His hair was a dark, unnatural blue, with golden, animalistic eyes. They were wide and… cold, almost lifeless. The boy stared at him, clearly trying to understand something. He reached out with one hand. Kaito saw they were chubby with baby fat and covered in blood, the nails slightly sharp. His gown, unlike the pristine whiteness of the black-haired male, was torn and filthy, stained with all matter of dried liquid and waste.  _Kid must have one hell of an immune system to ignore the sickness._

"Who are you?" the child whispered again. "You're not a white one or a creation. Who are you?"

 _I'm not one of them but he doesn't know if I'm a threat. Smart brat or maybe… he just has strong instincts._ "Wanijima Kaito, your new caretaker. Can you walk brat?"

The other boy twitched uncomfortably. "Sir, please step away. It's about to-" The smaller leapt, reaching to bite at Kaito's neck. Kaito was quicker, yanking the boy into the air by his arm. The boy didn't struggle, simply stared at him. They kept eye contact in silence. For a moment, Kaito swore he felt pity. He almost puked.

Finally Kaito spoke, noticing the faintest of flushes on his face, "Is there a reason why he's locked up in here?"

The black-haired replied, voice returned to its mechanical calm at the sight before him. "Minami-sensei called Unit 0 too wild mere days after the creation process. It has become more docile now but it clearly is still a bugged creation."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Of course he's more calm, he's  _sick_ , you worthless fuck. Does anyone come here besides you?"

"I do not believe so Wanijima-san. The only medical professionals are afraid of him, especially after he attacked them midway through a checkup."

"Oh?" He gave the one he held a sly grin. "Why did you do that brat?"

The empty gaze seemed to bore into him. "The white ones are the enemy. They chained me up. I don't like that so I make them go away. They won't... come back... now..." Suddenly the boy raised his other hand to cough, trembling in Kaito's grip. The man sighed, but inwardly he was slightly pleased. Even sick, the boy proved to be quite the useful weapon. Carefully, he lifted the boy into his blanket, reminding himself to replace that as soon as possible.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked through his coughing. "Mister, who are you? What do you want from me?"

"Shut up Akito."

"Akito?"

"Your name stupid brat. Now be quiet and go to sleep." Kaito strode out of the room, barely paying attention to the still form in his arms. Passing by the other boy, he snarled. "Is Minami here?"

"Yes sir. Would you like to see him?"

"No. Just pass on the message that he is a worthless bastard and I will see him dead."

The black-haired male didn't even blink at the threat. "Understood Wanijima-san. Good day."

"Bullshit."

He left the building, got into his car, and drove off, boy curled up weakly in the passenger seat, breathing heavily.

_Shit. What am I gonna do with this?_


	16. Pairing

16\. Pairing

The blond jet was nervous. Agito could feel it, could sense it even with their hands separated. The eyepatched boy was confused. Why was he so scared?

 _It's his first time. He's bound to be nervous._ Agito sighed. He hated when Akito made sense.

_Fuck. I guess. Maybe I should be the one who-_

_No Agito. He can do it. He can't handle that; it's too much pain. You and I are much better for this. We always have been. It's why we survive._

_But he's a newbie._

_You were once a newbie Agito. And so was I._

… _Mm._

Kazu watched the blue-haired boy with a mixture of apprehension and shyness. What was he supposed to say? The boy expected him to step forward, to take the plunge. Why? It was obvious the blunette was the experienced one on both sides of the spectrum. It was who he was, what he existed  _for_. And Kazu was a naïve little fool and knew it well. This was his first time in this situation. How could he be so much better than this veteran in front of him?  _I'm going to die,_ the blond thought incoherently.  _I'm going to die and I'll never…_

Agito raised a hand and Kazu instinctively flinched away (A Fighter's instinct to hide from a Sacrifice's temper?) but it did not smack him. The jet felt his blond ears stick up against the beanie's fabric as the slender hand stroked his cheek.

"You need to calm down," he said as the hand moved to his neck, ever so gentle.  _This is unlike him._ "If you keep panicking you'll never do it right. So just relax and follow…"

"My instructions." His voice had softened and jumped an octave. Akito had come out without warning, pulling off the eyepatch covering his eye. The mismatched golden gaze made the blond shiver, ears and tail standing erect. Akito stepped forward, pressing his hands against the clenched fists at Kazu's sides. His blue tail swished calmly back and forth. Akito smiled softly. "Just listen to my commands little Phoenix," he murmured softly, leaning up to capture the boy's lips tightly in a kiss. A small smirk flashed on the younger's face briefly as the elder flushed furiously and helplessly. That nickname always sent sweet shudders through the blond's body. It was a term that made no sense, considering he was older than the blunette. "Use me as I will use you. If you can do that…"

Kazu managed to ask, eyes wide and terrified. "If I can do that, then what?"

"If you can do that, then I will grant that desire you can tell no one else, that you dream of so fervently.  _I will grant your wish._ " He stepped back. "Okay?"

Kazu just stared at him, wide eyed and full of fear. The dreams flashed through his head. Then his fists loosened. "What… what do I do?"

Akito took his hand. "Come with me."

And he did.

…

Kazu squirmed uncomfortably. The hand in Akito's smaller one was starting to become sweaty. The blunette didn't seem to notice. All that radiated from him was endless peace and warmth. It was how Akito always felt to him when it came to these times, when he was alone with the blond. Otherwise he was happy, timid, pacifistic, open, naïve, and childlike. Agito was almost an opposite; a rough-and-tumble, aloof guy who disliked the weak getting hurt for no reason, who fought simply because it was a fight, who got up from a punch faster than when he threw one.

But when these battles came, they were different. Even though Kazu had never fought with him before, he knew it was so. Akito was a calmly manipulative sort of person, who saw from all angles and never let himself be ruled, who knew love and allowed it to become him. Agito was an S&M routine on his own, begging for more pain with a simple taunt while throwing it back in their faces twice as hard as the blows.

They had been trained as Fighter and Sacrifice, sadist and masochist, servant and master. It made him wonder again why, over all the others at the school, a weak, insignificant person like him was chosen by this powerful, enigmatic child. Yet deep down, he thought that he knew.

They walked into the meadow together, hands still clasped like a young couple. Akito stopped slowly and pressed himself gently against Kazu's body, head on his chest. His other hand grasped the pale one hanging limply there. He was shaking again.  _Such a terrified little firebird we have chosen. Poor thing._

"Calm yourself my little Phoenix," Akito murmured soothingly as he moved to stand behind him. "The enemy comes. They shouldn't smell your fear, they should feel your confidence, your power."

Kazu swallowed. "What power? I can't  _do_ anything. I'm just a-"The younger cut him off.

"Just nothing. You are my Fighter, a master of words just with that knowledge alone. You are a quiet, powerful warrior who strikes while the others boast. You are _Stealth_." Hearing that true name made the blond still, then smile quietly, eyes beginning to glow with excitement. Akito smiled again. He could sense it, the slumbering strength. He  _always_  knew.

Their footsteps were loud against the grass. It was almost annoying, the arrogant way they walked. It was if they thought they were better than this pair simply because they had been bound for so long. Akito smiled quietly and Agito visibly smirked. This would prove them wrong.

"Nice to meet you Boundless," he greeted politely. Kazu stilled. Akito's ability to know Names at a glance was uncanny. "Are you ready?"

"Screw you and your pleasantries," the enemy Fighter snarled. "Systems activate!" The area exploded into a world without true form. Kazu looked around fearfully. The Figher smirked. "A weak little newbie? You touch must be slipping  _Nameless_." The last word was spat like a curse toward Akito. The blunette grinned.

"Think what you will. Are you ready?" He glanced at the blond, who nodded slowly. The arrogant look changed into something soft and deep. "You are Stealth, one who hides in the darkness and destroys his enemies with light, one who is too fast to catch. Go now, my little Phoenix. Show them your fire." As he spoke, Kazu felt his whole body tingle with warmth and excitement. His systems activated and he was filled with ecstasy.

As the battle began, Kazu wondered what he had feared. He wasn't alone after all.

…

"See?" Akito's voice chirped. "You were wonderful."

Kazu groaned audibly, his cat-like appendages twitching. "How do you always know?"

"I'm psychic."

"You are not!"

Akito gave a giggle. "Maybe not, but I know you. I know I can trust you. Your wings will take you far." Before Kazu could mock him, or even say anything, Akito gently kissed him on the cheek and strode away. By the time conscious thought returned, the blunette was up ahead.

"Get back here!"


	17. Smile

17\. Smile

Ikki wondered about Akito and Agito. He worried about them. He worried a lot. Agito was a bloodthirsty nutcase on his own but that was just how he was. Akito was timid and pacifistic. Yet, he seemed to have no problems after Agito had just proceeded to rip through people's bodies and use them as meals. In fact, he seemed  _more_ hyperactive and cheery after that. When he asked Agito, he had just been turned away with a simple "Fuck!" and a roll of the eye.

So he decided to ask the little nut himself. It hadn't taken much to convince the love-stricken boy out on the rooftop. Mikan had snickered at him while Ringo growled, something that he couldn't understand. Maybe it was a girl thing. Who knew?

"What's up Ikki-kun?" The boy's smile was missing, swapped for a shyly tilted head and a curious frown. It was still innocent. It was still disturbing.

"Why are you always smiling?" Oh that was blunt. Real smooth Minami. Akito's expression didn't change.

"Why?" the boy repeated, contemplating the question. "Does it bother you?"

"It's weird when someone acts like a child after he's just seen someone torn to pieces."  _Wouldn't that bother you?_

His eye widened innocently. "Oh, you're worried about  _that_?" Ikki nearly fell off the roof. Was this kid high or something?  _Does he really not get it?_

"Yeah."  _Duh._

Akito giggled. "Oh there's an easy answer for that: I don't care about it."

Ikki was turned speechless, having expected something completely different. "Uh…what?"

"I don't care about it," Akito repeated, swinging his legs childishly against the shingles. "They are nothing but statistics at the end of the day, why should they affect me at all?" Ikki raised an eyebrow. There was  _no way_  the kid believed something like that. He was way too sweet for that... right?

"You're a terrible liar."

Akito shook his head. "It's true. I don't care for them individually anymore. If I did that, I would lose what's left of my sanity. That happened once. Onii-chan got hurt real bad because of it. I could have killed him if Sanao-san hadn't stopped me. And then I would have killed myself, and that would have messed everything up. Besides what's the point of caring about everybody when all they do is bad stuff and you have to punish them? It's no good."

 _He's such a… kid._  That really was the only way to describe Akito, who had started humming innocently to a tune only he could hear. He spoke so childishly, acted as though nothing was wrong even when he  _knew_ it was, and kept this up for something that shouldn't have been. He was smiling but the eye Ikki could see seemed as though it were blank.  _What_ is _left of your sanity? You've been killing people and raised in a cage? Are you even able to say you_ have _sanity anymore?_

"Besides, Agito is happier when I smile." Ikki blinked. Thinking of Agito as a happy person was strange.

"Really."

He got an enthusiastic nod. "Uh-huh! He likes that a lot. That's because when we first met I cried often and was always sad. Now I'm not and that makes him better too. So, as long as I smile, everything will be just fine. Even if I'm not happy, it'll be okay."

"Why?"

Akito paused and looked away from Ikki, his stare flashing to something utterly empty, as though caught in a flashback you just shouldn't have. "Happiness… it doesn't last forever. Something like that isn't even possible, I know. But if I pretend, if I believe it will be, then maybe…" He trailed off before forcing himself to finish.

"As long as I smile, people will think it's okay." Akito stood up, believing the conversation was over. "G'night Ikki-kun."

"No."

Akito paused curiously. "Eh?" Ikki's arms wrapped around him and he felt his body moved back down. All Akito could hear was Ikki's continued denial, feeble and empathic. No because he was only fourteen and broken beyond repair. No because he was being undeniably selfless in a selfish world. No because, damn it, it wasn't fair that he had already given up hope for himself.

"Ikki-kun… it's okay." Those three words shut him up better than any love confession. Akito squirmed away from him in a sad sort of manner. He looked up at the moon almost wistfully.

_He wanted to stay there but in truth he didn't belong._

There was so much Akito could tell Ikki, so much he wanted to say, but he ran out of words. Instead, he did what he did best.

He smiled and said. "Good night Ikki-kun. Sleep well, okay?"


	18. Pleas

18\. Pleas

He was running. Through trees and clearings and endless boughs, he was running. The glade was coiling around him, trying to muffle his footsteps, to deafen his ears to almost everything. And still, a child kept screaming.

No, it wasn't one. It was two, two with the garbled, misshaped voice of one body. Cries of pain, of fear, melded with the crashes of leather and blunt steel against flesh merged with the harmony of death. It was a song, a song he knew so well. He had left them behind. Hours ago, he had left behind his charges and fled like a coward. So why could he still hear them as though they were right next to him? By now, they were dead.

Suddenly, as though his thoughts had summoned them, they were in front of him. The gaze that was tainted with despair pierced him. On his face was not the empty frown he'd seen before, had come to expect, but a bitter, serene smile. He knew that face too. The teen had grown up fearing that face, because it meant things were about to be all shot to hell and that people would be killed. A golden, ethereal glow surrounded the small, ragged body. It moved like smoke around him, loose and free. Free, that was something the child never would be. It was certain now. Right?

"You're dead," whispered the elder.  _You aren't supposed to be here! The dead stay down! I left you back there, so why are you here now?_ "You're dead."

The smile widened. "We are!" he chirped, as happy as could be. The teen jolted back, staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and horror.  _What the hell? How can you be smiling at a time like this?_

"What's wrong with you," he nearly screamed. "You're dead. I practically killed you! You're supposed to be angry, sad, vengeful,  _something_  other than smiling!"

The pale boy tilted his head. "Why? It's not the first time."

That completely threw the male off. He couldn't think of a reply except to stutter out, "W-Wha…"

There was a frown on the delicate face now, crossing his arms over his chest. The glow soared gently past his arms, revealing the faintest of scars, scars from blades, from whips. He winced. Then the little child laughed, the sound angelic. "That's right! We've died before and we'll die again! Not the first, not the last, they become the future and the past!" With another little laugh, he danced away for a moment, spinning in place with his arms outstretched. He appeared to be reaching for a nonexistent sun. Then he lowered his arms and seemed to sadden.  _Finally_. But it wasn't a sad frown. It was a knowing one.

"You know," he began. "It's not yet."

"What's not yet?" The elder was still afraid, still tempting to flee but his body was paralyzed now. He had waited too long.

The boy walked up to him and laced his fingers on the other's temple. He was smiling again. Damn him. There was a shudder, feeling the light flow over his body. It hurt. He wanted the darkness. "This death. It's not yet. You can still make it change. You can still save us. If you want." For some reason, even though there was so much brightness, he felt sick, black. His body trembled as whispers sang lightly in his ears, icy and full of shadows. The hand left his chin and pointed a finger on his chest. "It's up to this. It has to be followed by this." The digit moved to rest against his forehead. "If they don't work together, everything will come full-circle. And you…"

"What about me?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

The boy shook his head. "It'll all go away. And if it all goes away, well…" He shrugged. "You can guess right?"

The elder felt his head spinning. This was unreal. A part of him wanted to know more, to understand more, but another part was stronger. That part was in denial.  _They should be dead. Ghosts don't exist, especially not here! (But where is here?)_ Unfortunately, that part was stronger. "The dead should stay dead!" he howled as his grip on sanity abruptly snapped. For the first time, terror broke into the other voice. It wavered, wandering the path between one and two.

"No don't do that!" The child wailed, shying away. "You don't have to do that! Stop that!" The teen let out a wild screech and picked up a fallen bough. Taking it in both hands like a baseball bat, he charged wildly at the glowing form, which just kept backing away. He raised his hands to defend himself as the wood slammed down repeatedly. Instead of pain-filled screams, there were broken, pitiful sobs.

"Why? Why, why, why? You're hurting us. You're  _killing_ us! Stop this! Please stop it!" The fearful sounds and light began to quiet slowly as he continued to assault the child. A manic grin was on the teen's face.

"Yes I am! You will  _stay_ dead!"

"Don't listen to it!" The child begged. "It will kill you! We know it will!"

"I don't care!" he screamed in a fit of insanity and ecstasy. "You won't come back! You'll leave me be! Die!" Yet even as he kept hitting him with the branch, he wondered. It was scary because the child wasn't bleeding and even the dead bleed. The elder raised the branch high. Mismatched gold pierced him and he froze in pure horror. Even as he sobbed, pleaded, and trembled in fear, there was still a pretty smile on his face.

"Akira please," Agito whispered hollowly. "Please Akira not again."

Akira felt his arms tremble. Then the branch swung down and there was a sickening crack.

He woke with a start.


	19. Worry

19\. Worry

" _Where the hell is he?"_

Akira had been thinking this for the past three hours. It was snowing badly outside and there was still no sign of Akito. Kaito was gone, off somewhere working on things Akira was certain he didn't want to know about. Akito had gone out in the morning, claiming he would be back later. Well it most certainly was later and there was a snowstorm picking up.

 _Kaito's going to kill me if he gets hurt!_ Yet what could he do? ATs were useless in the snow.

There was suddenly a wild knocking at the door. "Oh jeez..." Akira muttered, feeling a mixture of relief and fury. "Gonna beat the tar out of him."

He opened the door to see Akito, who was unconscious and being carried by a stranger. Akira's eyes widened and he snatched the boy protectively from the man's grasp. "Who the hell are you? What'd you do to him?"

The man raised his hands defensively. "Nothing sir. I mean it. He saved my life!"

"Why the hell should I believe that?"

"His skates... he said that you would know what happened if you looked at them." Akira glanced down and paled.  _So much blood... how many guys was he up against?_ He relaxed slightly, but wariness was still second nature.

"Do you want to come in?"

The man shook his head no. "I have to get home before I can't drive at all. Good night." He was gone before Akira could react, leaving a still unconscious blue-haired boy in his arms. Akira looked down.

He groaned. "What the hell am I gonna do with you?" Akito stirred, shifting over in his arms. As he moved a box fell to the ground. Akira shifted the boy to one arm and picked it up. The box had his name on a tag. Carefully opening it revealed a weapon; a pair of knuckles the older boy had been eyeing since they got there. There was also special parts for his AT, which were worn as hell.

 _How much did it cost him to get these?_ He glanced at the sleeping boy, who of course was barely hurt.

Akira couldn't hold back an affectionate smile. "You're so odd."

Akito opened his eyes to stare at his friend blearily. "Akira's warm..." He nuzzled into the older male's chest.

Akira groaned. "Come on you can't fall asleep here."

Too late. The little boy was curled up there, clearly not going to move anytime soon. Akira blinked then smiled again.

"Geez," he muttered. "You always worry me." He went to go sit down.


	20. Tower

20\. Tower

_Tears fell and mixed with the pool that was their ground. The child with white wings trembled terribly, sobs echoing loudly through the near quiet. From the mirror at the edge of his mind, muffled voices filtered through the glass. He could see them: the princess and… the crow. Anger and pain welled up in him like fire and it seared his veins, making his tears burn his eyes. He also heard it, the sweet voice of someone, something powerful, calling him, urging him back._

" _Akito-nii?" From where he was crouched, he couldn't glimpse his brother's apprehensive stare at his back. The normally cruel glare was more like his stare, soft and afraid. Agito worried. But, in truth, he always worried for Akito. And vice versa. They were brothers; they had to do that. But Agito worried more, Akito was so badly broken it wouldn't surprise him if the boy had created another personality after him. Hesitantly (wait was this real, Agito couldn't hesitate), he stepped forward and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. It was cold: the way their "skin" always was when emotions gripped so fiercely they went numb._

" _Akito-nii?" Agito repeated, using the young, sweet, broken voice that he only used with Akito. "What is it?" Agito glanced toward the mirror that revealed the outside world, where the princess spoke so casually to the crow, which was more on-edge than he looked. Agito saw him look in their direction, almost with concern, and immediately allowed a hostile look to pass through. The crow returned it with less force. He doubted the teen actually gave a shit; Akito did give the impression of being almost completely okay after all._

" _Tower…" his brother whispered suddenly, wrapping his arms around himself. "Tower… why are we going?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _We're going to the Tower," he whispered. Agito noted the emphasis on the word, on the proper status it took in their head. "We're going back. I don't want to go back."_

" _The Tower? The Trophaeum?" He trembled more at the name and Agito rushed to wrap his arms around him, placing his hands on top of the hands that were covered in gooseflesh. "Why does it scare you? We've never been here before."_

" _I have," Akito rasped. "I have and I don't want to go back. I'm scared. I'm scared so much. Is he going to take us back? Is he going to drown us again? Please make it stop. Please don't make us go Ikki-kun. Please. It's so loud in there. It's so loud and… it's hungry."_

_Agito glared again at the crow. He was doing it again, curse him. This goddamn crow was making things worse on them. He glanced at his arms, where multiple punctures were faintly visible. The medicine could be leaving their system faster now. It would explain the extremity of Akito's emotions. Well it could explain the lack of control over them anyway. Of course, he could feel them too: anger, fear, sadness, pain, and…_

_Betrayal. Oh the sweet bitterness of betrayal! For a moment, he wished he could banish the empathic link he had with Akito. But that would be useless and cruel to both of them. Akito_ did _somehow keep them from becoming a mess after all. Until now that is. He simply remained there with him, huddled and shivering in the sudden cold that gripped their hearts._

_They had reached their destination and Akito had been right. He could smell it, the scent of many tigers prowling around them with slobbering mouths and greedy snarls. Akito had curled up even further into a ball and trembled. Now Agito himself could hear it, a soft voice with no inclination to gender or race._

"Come here child… come into my arms… come back here where it's safe… come…"

_Agito shuddered, feeling a primal fear welling up in his chest. Forcing his voice to remain even, he plunged his head into the mirror and started speaking to the crow, trying to get him to leave. He was no longer a predator, he was prey and the idea sickened him. It was like back then. (Back when? He asked himself.) But it came to no avail. And when the tuners swore to protect them, Akito let out a bitter laugh and cried,_

" _You can't protect the Wind Regalia, how are you supposed to protect us?" Agito agreed and said so, proceeding to tick everyone off. Ikki snapped anxiously at them and he rolled his visible eye and stepped out of the mirror. Agito felt the terror rise again like bile. He couldn't shove it away, couldn't do anything. All they could do now is watch and listen, like ice._

_And they had. Learning of Sora's betrayal had not surprised them. Ambition could carry you far, after all. The voice of the Tower grew louder as they came deeper. Akito had simply fallen silent and still as they fell, only moving to try and help Agito breathe, help him speak. At the sight of the Sky Regalia, both of them felt a nostalgic tingle in their bones._

_When Sora appeared on screen with a beaten Akira hanging on the ceiling, both of them heard a distinct crack. Akito had glanced at the crow and seen the broken expression on his face. He had scowled but refused to comment. Yet Agito felt a wave of acrid satisfaction come from Akito. He didn't like that, not at all. Agito spoke a little more before smirking despite himself at the official declaration of war. Sora vanished from the screen and at once Agito slumped. He couldn't hold it back anymore, the fear, the pain, the sensation of drowning, that_ damned  _voice…_

_He closed his eyes and rested against the wall, trying to control his breathing, his body. It didn't work and the small form trembled against the surface. Most of Sleeping Forest didn't notice but Ringo did. She frowned and glanced at her siblings. They had seen. Mikan was hiding it while watching Ikki, but her eyes flickered back every now and again. Ume wasn't even attempting to hide it; giving the boy such a motherly look it was almost disgusting._

_They reached the entrance and walked into the elevator. Ikki was stumbling along with Kururu at his side. Agito followed along almost meekly behind the former tuners. Ume watched him out of the corner of her eye as his fingers twitched silently. Gently she went up to him and tugged his arm. The boy jumped and his neck nearly cracked as he faced her. For a moment, the golden gaze was alive with terror and confusion. Then it dulled, replaced with calm and bitter despair. Now_ that  _was disturbing._

" _What is it?" he inquired, warily glancing forward._

" _Are you okay?" Well no he wasn't but that was really one of the only things she_ could _say. That and… "Can I help?"_

_Surprisingly enough, he smiled wanly. Out of all the siblings, the split-personality teen had gotten along best with her. "No we're not and there's nothing you can do. Sorry." Agito glanced at Ikki. "Every traitor has to do with the wind. Haha... that figures." He fell silent after that, leaving Ume to ponder the ominous statement._

_Ikki fled for his life when they were out of the Trophaeum. Unsure of where to go, Kururu followed Ine and Rune back to the factory. Agito stood there for a moment, gazing down toward the tower. Then he let out a strange, broken cry and walked away._

…

A week passed. Akira was standing outside of the Kogarasumaru hideout, watching the others file in. He glanced at each, searching for one in particular. He limped away when the last person was there. He had to find Agito. Kaito had ordered him to keep an eye out for him. The boy would not be in a stable state of mind.  _His medicine's probably run dry…._  The former Fang King thought.  _God damn it._  He finally made it up to the roof where the clock was.

"Figures you two are up here." The bluenette jumped and glanced at him. He barely relaxed, but did turn back to the sky he was staring at. He struggled over to his friend's side and sat down. "Aren't you going to knock some sense into that idiot leader of yours?" It was a neutral question to decide which was out. The boy drew his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, arms wrapped around limbs. They both did that, especially now.

The reply was, "Why should we help him?" The voice was cold, but it sounded more angry than offended. Akito then.

"He's your leader isn't he? Isn't he the bird?" Akito shrugged.

"There are lots of birds in the sky. You hate them." Akira laughed sheepishly.

"That's true." There was a comforting pause. Akito randomly asked,

"How's Ren-chan?" Akira blinked.

"Ren's fine. She's back with her brother. Hopefully I'll get another letter soon." He received a nod. Sighing, he went right to the point. "Akito, have you taken your medicine recently?"

Akito shook his head.  _Figured._  "It ran out. Ages ago."

"Why haven't you come and gotten more?" Akito started trembling. Damn, it had been a while then.

"B-Because… he w-would have broken the vials. That's w-why we're out. H-he broke the vials and threw them away."

Akira took his friend's arm gently. This was incredibly worrying. Agito hadn't attempted to take over so that meant he was feeling the same way. "Why would Ikki break the vials?"

"He didn't know what they were." The trembling had stopped and Akito's voice had returned to that cold tone. "We tried to tell him what they were but he thought they were drugs and threw them away." Suddenly Akito started coughing. "Udou-kun, we- we can't… br-breathe!" He coughed and writhed, gasping for air. Akira moved, grabbing at Akito's arms. He knew it was coming next.

Akito let out a terrified scream. "Let go of me! Let go! You're going to drown me! You're going to cut me open and beat me and then leave me to die in the ocean! Let go of me!" He writhed and bit down on Akira's arm. Akira hissed and twisted his friend's arms, refusing to let go. Akito kept screaming, the sound turning to an inhuman screech. He heard footsteps from the stairs.

"Akito stop! You're not in the tower anymore! You can't drown!" Akira knew words were pointless now. Months without the medicine in his system had turned everyday life into that terrible haunting fear of the dark lab underground. Of that other man and a terrible massacre. He couldn't see or hear anything anymore, just the song of the terror and the feel of metal against flesh, mixed with the sight and longing of the sky.

 _Hah, when I first met Agito he bit me too._  Ikki and the others had made it up now and all they saw was Akito struggling to escape from Akira and howling like a tortured animal. They immediately rushed to help and Akito broke free, tearing toward the other side of the fence. He glared fearfully at them all, mouth dripping with Akira's blood. Subtly, Akira pulled a needle from his pocket. Then he moved an inch. Akito leapt over the fence, falling the three stories. The others rushed over to see Kaito holding his brother firmly around the waist with one arm. The boy's struggle suddenly ended. The sight of the brother, of the  _god_  who had stolen him to the well, a place so much closer to the sky, made his very being still with awe.

Kaito's expression was indifferent as he pulled another syringe from his pocket, containing the same blue liquid. Akito saw it and paled, twitching. Ignoring the obvious discomfort, he punctured the boy's arm and emptied the drug into his system. The effects were immediate, his brother slumping like a rag doll. Akira sighed with relief and slowly started limping back down the stairs. He could feel many horrified stares on his back. He didn't give a damn.

He had been very close to losing that blunette, both sides of him, to the blankness of the tower many times. Akira was determined not to let it happen.


End file.
